Hospitality are back for everyone’s favourite high-altitude party at Rise Festival 2018. Combining the extremest of sports, with the finest in drum + bass music for the ultimate in winter festivities.

Boasting one of the highest festivals in the world spanning venues at 1600-3200m in Les Deux Alpes mountains, the views are picturesque and the beats are rampant. For our fourth year at Rise, Hospitality are once again bringing the fire to the cold French Alps with a mixture of hard-hitting drum + bass and cool liquid rollers. Not much beats the feeling of tearing down a snowy mountainside but I’m pretty sure a Hospitality event in the skies might just top it.

But to be able to survive the chills and thrills of Rise whilst keeping yourself in check for some tasty skiing and snowboarding, we’ve come up with some Dos and Don’ts to help you make the most of your week in the mountains.

Don’t: Get too hammered on the slopes. The mountains can be a dangerous beast that needs to be tamed, and you wouldn’t throw yourself into a Lion’s ring smashed on Jager, or would you?

Do: Grab a ski or snowboard lesson if you haven’t been before. You might think you’re the next Sean White from spending hours on SSX back in the day, but chances are you’ll be spending more time on your arse than cruising down the slope like a elegant eagle. Even if you’re going with seasoned skiers, there’s not a chance they’ll want to stick with you on the beginner and green slopes, so get yourself a couple lessons and you can join them in the skies.

Don’t: Splash the cash on expensive gear when you’re there. Borrow as much equipment as you can, buy any clothes at home and bring’em with you. You’ll already be forking out on transport, accommodation, food and drink so keep within the limits and only hire out those bare necessities.

Do: Check out the range of venues Rise has to offer, wherever you may be on the mountain. Grab yourself a bev and hit the bars for some wild apres-ski parties

Don’t: Forget to RSVP for the ultra-exclusive Katana Secret Party. Tucked in a 300-capacity venue only accessible by a little climb up the mountain, it’s totally worth the trip for the roaring fires and belting bangers.

Do: There’s nowt better than Alpine food. Tartiflette and cured meats is the bomb, and complete that with a bottomless alcoholic brunch and you’ve pretty much got yourself sorted for the day. Rise are offering endless supplies of beer, wine and genipi to kick your day off right if you’re feeling a bit dead from the night before.

Do: Reach peak zen at peak heights at the highest spot in Les Deux Alpes with a touch of Alpine Yoga. There’s no better place to do your downward dogs than looking over some bangin’ landscapes to find that ultimate place of serenity within your soul. Might also be a good place to neutralise the buzz of a solid week of alcohol induced debauchery. If yoga seems a little too much for your tender minds and bodies then take yourself up the mountain for a bit of R&R at one of the spas L2A are famous for, there might not be a better cure for a Hospitality event than a massage…

Don’t: Miss out on Bristol badboys My Nu Leng & Dread MC. We had the lads down at Hospitality in the Park spewing fire to the D+B crowd and it went down an absolute treat, and they’re back for a tasty set this year at Rise too! The heat coming from their big weighty bassline/DnB would be enough to make even the polar ice caps melt so there’s no doubt that there will streams of people heading to this one, make sure you’re one of them.

Do: Know your limits. There’s nothing worse than nursing that hangover and missing out on a day of slick skiing and some killer DJs. But there’s also that problem of skiing too much you miss out on the apres-ski. Finding that sweet equilibrium between drinking and partying is a real thing of talent that only you special folk can master, the rest of you can just give it a go.

Don’t: Book the first accommodation that pops up. No one wants some below par bed with broken springs and a pongy stench of a dead marmot in the chimney, believe me I’ve been there. Definitely worth a shout getting your Poirot moustache out and inspecting the best value accommodation that will be the ideal place to rest up from a hectic week of skiing and skanking. Don’t make it too good though, we want to see you partying hard with us and you’ll have no money left for the bevs.

Do: If yoga doesn’t feel your soul with positive vibes enough, Rise have organised a meditation session deep inside the L2A ice cave to cool away the dramas of life (or any raging hangovers). This might just be the only bit of ultimate tranquility you’ll get all week, so definitely RSVP yourself in.

Don’t: Head to only things you know, there is music-aplenty to whet every taste. You’re in a foreign country so you might as well be experimental with your music, and don’t limit yourself to just the one venue, there are plenty to indulge in. You’ve got nightclubs, large outdoor stages and high altitude arenas as well as piste-side venues… Have to say, check out Kaizen Record boss Madam X for an eclectic mix from techno to dubstep and everything in between… remember the name.

Do: Check out extreme snow sports collective ‘Jibworx’ if you need a little inspo on how to further your snow-based abilities. They’re headed to Rise for a little showcase of their own skills, but there’ll also been a bit of scope for you to try and impress them with your abilities, or lack of.

Don’t: Forget to bring your Hospitality merch. We want to see as many of you possibly representing DnB in the mountains, it’s not often drum and bass reaches new literal heights and we want to make the most of seeing all you heads bopping and feet skanking to the Hospital boys Nu:logic, Metrik, Etherwood and Hugh Hardie.

Do: Get higher that a kite… Not many festivals offer an option to go paragliding but at Rise you can channel your inner eagle and soar over the Alps. There’s no doubt this will be the second-most overwhelming experience at the festival after Hospitality, but it’s definitely worth a look-in.

Don’t: Anyone remember that film Snow Dogs from when you were a kid? No? Well it was pretty s**t, but doing Husky riding would be pretty frickin’ epic. Rise are offering some of you lucky lot the opportunity to take part in the sled riding the old-school way, with Huskies. This isn’t your average festival, but there is wine thrown in!

Do: Pack some warm clothes. It’s going to be f-r-e-e-z-i-n-g, so make sure you bring thermals and some big jumpers. You could even treat yourself to a Hospital Records hoodie which will keep you looking fly and feeling warm on the slopes.

Birmingham might be known as The Second City, but there’s no doubt that the crowds at Hospitality Birmingham have been some of the best we have ever seen.

Fred V & Grafix are jumping back on the decks with Hospital’s golden boy Danny Byrd spinnin’ an exclusive jungle set. We have to make the effort if we are coming all the way to Brum, so we thought a never before seen Logistics b2b Etherwood could suffice! Off the back of his killer debut Hospital LP ‘Salvation’, Makoto will be gracing your eardrums with some of the silkiest liquid beats from a back catalogue of tunes from the last 20 years.

Finishing off this killer line up in the Warehouse of Rainbow is Krakota, a man that needs no introduction. Finally, it wouldn’t be Hospitality Birmingham without some huge special guests; let’s not beat around the bush, we’ve pulled out all the stops. Bristol badboy TC brings the D+B knowhow, whilst hype surrounding Critical Sound’s 15th year follows them to Brum, and label boss Kasra is bringing none other than Mefjus & Halogenix for a cheeky bit of deep and murky D+B.

Music aside, we are in one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country. Make the most of a trip to the Brummie: start with the tunes, get a slice of munch, and finish with a nice dose of culture. Here’s what’s on offer…

The Rainbow Venues: This has to be one of my favourite clubs in the country. The crème de la crème of clubs in the midlands, the production team really haven’t held back on creating one of the best atmospheres around. They really don’t hold back on Room Two either, big capacities, big bass and intense lighting will tingle at least three of your senses to the max. There’s no finer place to show off what Hospital have to offer.

Things to do/places to eat: I’m joining these two together for this blog, as there is only one place you have to get yourself to… the Birmingham Canal Network. You have a plentiful selection of chain and independent eateries, and countless amount of chic or cheaper bars to either pre-drink or attempt a hair of the dog cure the night after. This is the place to be for some bangin’ food to soothe the hangover. Accompany that with a gentle stroll and cheeky bev by the picture-esque canals, it might just be that bit of relaxation you need. If you’re here for the whole weekend, check out the Jekyll & Hyde gin bar for copious amounts of gin-based food and cocktails creations.

Where to stay: You won’t need to fork out for Taxis if you stay at Birmingham Central Backpacker’s, it’s just an 8-min walk away from Rainbow Venues. It’s also equidistant to the centre so you can save those precious pennies for some bevs in the venue. Plus, there’s a free light breakfast, free tea & coffee and free Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, the rooms aren’t free as well, but for a minimum two-night stay, it’ll only set you back £30-40 if you’re on a budget.

See, what’s not to love. Fully fledged D+B flavours from our dear friends and exalted guests in one of the greatest cites the nation has to offer. Come for the music, stay for the Hospitality.

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About Hospitality

Hospitality is the worldwide club event of top UK D+B imprint Hospital Records. From humble beginnings Hospitality has grown to become a true titan of the scene, known for it’s feel good music policy, showstopping DJs and a friendly, up for it crowd. Read more >